Chapter 6 — Nythora's First Light
The ruins rise out of the mist like broken teeth—towers of dark stone covered in silver moss, their shattered peaks clawing toward the pale sky.
Nyra moves ahead, her boots silent against the cracked floor. Rauk follows close, scanning the fog with wary eyes. Isha fades in and out of sight, a shimmer in the air.
[Environmental Scan Active…]
[Detected Structure: Unknown Origin]
[Estimated Age: 8,000+ Years]
[Power Signature: Dormant / Bound Energy Detected]
"This place…" Rauk murmurs. "It's breathing."
"Not breathing," Nyra corrects softly. "Remembering."
The mist shifts, revealing a massive circular doorway half-buried in stone. Serpentine carvings spiral across its surface, glowing faintly as if alive.
Rauk steps forward, claws flexing. "A brute-force opening. Quick and silent."
"Wait," Nyra interrupts, placing a hand on his armored forearm. "The Emperor commanded silence. If this seal is broken by force, it might trigger an alarm we can't see, or worse—a structural collapse. We need information, not rubble."
She kneels, her fingers tracing the glowing pattern. "Isha, can you analyze the power flow? Tell me where the core connection is."
Isha dissolves into silver mist and seeps into the stone. A few seconds later, she reforms beside them. "The seal is active. It requires a specific frequency of mana resonance to disengage. It's not a password—it's a living key."
Nyra glances back at Rauk, a faint smile curving her lips. "Fortunately, we brought our own specialized energy source."
She stands, lifts her hand, and channels her Shadow Weaver mana into the carvings—cold and smooth as smoke. The sigil pulses faintly, resisting.
Nyra adjusts her flow, tuning the mana's rhythm like a lockpicker twisting a needle inside a code.
A sharp crack echoes through the chamber.
Rauk's stance tightens. "Did you break it?"
Nyra exhales, lowering her hand. "No," she says with quiet satisfaction. "I opened it."
The massive doors grind apart, dust falling like snow. A faint golden light spills out from within, touching the trio's faces.
[Access Granted]
[Ancient Structure Identified: Obsidian Crown Citadel]
[Integrity: 62 %]
[Energy Source: Dormant City Core Fragment Detected]
Inside lies a vast hall—pillars of black stone lined with faded banners, a throne of obsidian at the center, its heart embedded with a dull crystal.
The air hums faintly with lingering power.
Isha's voice is quiet. "This isn't a ruin. It's sleeping."
Nyra approaches the throne, eyes sharp. "A City Core Fragment… linked to the same system as Elysion Prime."
[Signal Transmission Detected]
[Connection: Sovereign Core – Elysion Prime]
[Link Request Pending…]
[Authorization Level: System Emperor Required]
Far away, in the throne room of Elysion Prime, Kael Draven opens his eyes. The golden interface flickers before him.
[Signal Received]
[Ancient City Core Fragment Detected: Obsidian Crown / Sync Possible]
[Recommendation: Assimilation May Expand Empire Influence Radius by 40 km]
Kael leans back slowly, watching the floating data streams shift. "So, this world
remembers empires too."
Outside, lightning rolls across the distant clouds of Nythora.
He stands, the faint glow of the System flickering in his eyes.
"Prepare reclamation protocol," he says softly. "Nythora will kneel to the Valefar Imperium."